THE MATCHUP
The University of New Hampshire women’s hockey team, currently ranked No. 2 in both national polls, has a 24-3-1 overall record that includes a 14-0-1 mark in Hockey East. The Wildcats play host to the University of Vermont (5-22-1, 1-13-1) for a two-game series this weekend (Feb. 16 & 17) with both games starting at two o’clock. Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on the UNH Sports Network.

New Hampshire has won all 16 lifetime meetings, including a 5-0 victory on the road this season, against the University of Vermont and UNH has outscored UVM 117-8 overall with 11 wins by shutout; the Catamounts have not scored a goal in five of the last six meetings.

The Wildcats are 9-0-0 at home vs. the Catamounts and that includes five games at the Whittemore Center. In this year’s victory (Nov. 3), the Wildcats – who were without Martine Garland and Jenn Wakefield due to a commitment with the Canadian National Team – recorded a 31-7 shot advantage and went 4-for-6 on the power play.

HOCKEY EAST’S “SKATING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER”
Hockey East’s 2nd Annual “Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer” has grown into a weekend event and will be held this weekend. On Saturday, Feb. 16, both UNH and UVM will wear special pink/white jerseys during pre-game skate and use pink sticks during the game. Multiple UNH jerseys and team-autographed pink sticks will be raffled off at the game and there will also be a UVM jersey and stick for Catamount fans to bid on.

Hockey East debuted its inaugural “Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer” last season. The one-day event was hosted by league schools as a way to establish a greater fan base, raise needed funds and to work with specific charities. In its initial year, close to $20,000 was donated to local breast cancer charities (Friends of Mel’s Foundation and the American Cancer Society) to vastly exceed expectations.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire enters the weekend with a 24-3-1 overall record (14-0-1 Hockey East and 12-1-1 at home). UNH’s current 10-game unbeaten streak (9-0-1) is the team’s longest of the season and third unbeaten streak of at least six games this season; the ‘Cats recorded previous streaks of eight games (8-0-0) and six games (6-0-0).

The Wildcats clinched a berth –and no lower than the third seed – in the Hockey East Championship Tournament with last weekend’s 2-1 win at Boston College. If UNH sweeps Vermont and UConn drops one point in its weekend series vs. Boston University, the ‘Cats will win their fifth consecutive regular-season crown; New Hampshire will clinch at least a share of the regular-season title with a weekend sweep.

UNH’s penalty kill has not surrendered a goal in the Wildcats’ last 50 shorthanded situations. The ‘Cats are a perfect 43-for-43 in the last nine games. It is the team’s longest PK streak since a stretch of 11 perfect games that was part of 51 consecutive kills (46 in those 11 games).

New Hampshire has outscored the opposition 47-10 in the 10-game unbeaten streak. Seven Wildcats are averaging more than one point per game during the current unbeaten streak; Sadie Wright-Ward leads the way with 17 points and Kayley Herman has an 8-0-1 record, 1.10 GAA and .940 save percentage in that span.

PATTY KAZ WATCH
The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, sponsored by USA Hockey, has been presented annually to the most outstanding women’s college hockey player since UNH’s Brandy Fisher was the inaugural recipient in 1998. A total of seven Wildcats have received eight Top 10 Finalist honors. Last year, Martine Garland received that distinction. This year’s Top 10 candidates will be announced Feb. 26 and the Top 3 will be revealed March 12. The award will be presented March 22.

HOME SWEET HOME
New Hampshire has been very successful at defending home ice this season with a 12-1-1 record. UNH has outscored the opposition 59-17 (averages of 4.21 gpg/1.21 gpg) with a 488-220 shot advantage (34.86 per game/15.71 per game) in 14 home games.

Five ‘Cats are averaging at least one point per game at the Whittemore Center; Sam Faber leads the way with 24 points (10g, 14a) in 14 games and she also has a team-best .227 shooting percentage. Jennifer Hitchcock (8-9-17), Sadie Wright-Ward (5-12-17), Jenn Wakefield (6-8-14) and Kelly Paton (5-7-12) are also at 1.00 ppg or better; Wakefield’s total is in 11 games and Paton has missed two home games. Kayley Herman, in 13 games (12 starts), has compiled a 10-1-1 record with a 1.17 GAA, .928 save percentage and one shutout (in her home debut Oct. 14 vs. Colgate).

DOUBLE DOUBLE
UNH’s top four point scorers have reached double digits in both goals and assists; they are: Sam Faber (21-21), Sadie Wright-Ward (17-19), Jenn Wakefield (18-14) and Jennifer Hitchcock (14-16).
The next three leading scorers are on the verge of joining that quartet. Leah Craig, Micaela Long and Kelly Paton have already reached double figures in assists and all three have netted nine goals.

HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Tickets for the 6th annual Hockey East Championship Tournament can be purchased by calling the UConn box office at (877) 288-2666. The tournament will be held March 8-9 at the University of Connecticut’s Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum.